Twilight. The Lord of the Rings. Harry Potter. "True Blood". "The Vampire Diaries." There are so many book series out there looking to attain the level of success that those titles have had transitioning to both the big and the small screens. Warner Brothers is about to start banking on another one -- Beautiful Creatures.

Variety reports that Warner has acquired Beautiful Creatures, the first of a five-novel series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (which drops in book stores tomorrow), with Richard LaGravanese writing and directing the first feature film.

SynopsisEthan Wate, a popular high school student, hates living in a small town in South Carolina where nothing happens -- until he meets and becomes bewitched by Lena Duchanne, a 16-year-old whose family has moved back to town and who wishes for a mundane life. The star-crossed couple has to confront an age-old curse that has haunted her family for generations, as she comes to grips with her powers.

The Producers Guild of America announced the nominees in the television series and non-fiction television categories for the 21st Annual PGA Awards.

While the nominees are largely a familiar and traditional lot, without a single new Fall 2009 drama or comedy on the list, the PGA did manage to recognize a few fresh names, including HBO's "True Blood" in the drama category.

The Norman Felton Producer of the Year Award in Episodic Television - Drama nods are led by last year's winner, AMC's "Mad Men," while ABC's "Lost" and "Dexter" are also repeat nominees. Coming off a second season in which it broke ratings records seemingly every week, "True Blood" is new to the field, as is "Breaking Bad," stablemate to "Mad Men" at AMC.

With True Blood starting production on its third season this week, the spoilers are starting to flow as freely as Type O-neg at Fangtasia! The biggie: Casting is now underway for a role that sounds suspiciously like it can only be that of Sam’s mother!Debuting in episode 2, middle-aged Melinda Mickens, The Ausiello Files’ sources say, is just about the only character in history who lives in more trash than Oscar the Grouch. And since she and equally filthy hubby Joe Lee share the same surname as Tommy, the character this column’s already reported is Sam’s brother… well, you can do that math, can’t you?

The show is also on the hunt for a knockout to play Crystal Norris, a mysterious beauty who bewitches one of our alpha males. (Figuratively. Um, I think.) She’ll also make her first appearance in the second eppy.

Season 3 of True Blood continues to shape up as Prison Break’s Marshall Allman (as L. J. Burrows) has been cast as a regular in HBO’s popular vampire show. THR is reporting that Allman will play the role of “Tommy Mickens” in Alan Ball’s adaptation of the novels of Charlaine Harris.

Mickens is described in the reports as “, the long-lost younger brother of Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas”.

I know some other recent casting announcements have hit fan sites, but I’ve been told by HBO that they are not quite official (yet).Also joining the fun for Season 3 ss Denis O’Hare .True Blood returns to HBO in the summer of 2010http://www.bscreview.com/2009/12/true-blood-adds-marshall-allman/

Charlaine Harris is the international bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, which has been translated in over 30 languages, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery and has been adapted as a popular TV series on HBO called True Blood. Charlaine has also written the Aurora Teagarden series, Lily Bard series, and the Harper Connelly series. Two of her books have been nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Novel. Charlaine has also been a board member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance.